Sleep inducing apparatus



1959 w. c. PARKER 2,90

.SLEEP mnucmc APPARATUS Filed May 1'7, 1957 13 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 21 19 33 INVENTOR. WINFRED C. PARKER ATTORNEY Oct. 6, 1959 Filed May 17, 1957 w. c. PARKER 2,907,901 SLEEP INDUCING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. W/NFPED C PARKE/2 BY a, 4 j/afwam ATTORNEV United States Patent Ofitice I 2,907,901 [SLEEP INDUCING APPARATUS Winfred Parker, San Diego, Calif. ApplicationMay17, 1957, Serial No. 660,004

2 Claims. c1. 307 11e This invention relates to sleep inducing apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for sequentially dimming the brilliance of a light and disconnecting the light and a sound producing device connected thereto after a preselected period of time.

Parents oftentimes have difiiculty putting small children to bed. Children dread the quietness and darkness of their bedroom and frequently prefer the noise and lights in rooms occupied by their parents. To overcome this the childrens bedroom is sometimes kept lighted and music or television is played to entertain them in their rooms until they settle down and fall asleep. It has been found that by dimming the lighting gradually it will not be noticed by the children and that the gradual darkness will increase their desire to relax, rest and fall asleep. The entertainment device is usually one having audio perception, such as a tape recorder, record player or radio. Television is also used and while it includes visual presentation, it also is equipped with sound and therefore qualifies as a sound producing device for the purposes hereinafter to be explained. By providing asleep inducing apparatus which will gradually dim the room lighting and after a preselected time turn ofi the light and the device be ing played, the parent need not wait for the child to fall asleep and risk reawakening the child on reentering the room to turn the light and sound oil. The sleep inducing apparatus comprising this invention is also helpful in getting insomnia sufierers to sleep. Numerous hypnotic and sleep inducing tapes and records using soothing music and soft words are now on the market. When these are used in the present invention the person being affected thereby is assured that the device will turn off automatically after the person is asleep without the assistance of himself or other persons. Provision is also made for normal use of the lights and sound producing device without operation of the timing cycle, light dimming and cutoff features when such normal use is desired. Each device may also be used with or without the other in normal use or during the timing cycle. I

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for sleep inducing apparatus using light and sound producing devices.

Another object is the provision of sleep inducing apparatus wherein the visual portion thereof is progressively dimmed over a preselected timing cycle and thereafter both visual and audio portions are turned off.

:Another object is the provision of a sleep inducing apparatus having a pair of circuits, one of which has an increasing impedance over a timed cycle and a normally constant impedance at other times.

Another object is the provision of a sleep inducing apparatus having a pair of circuits with timing means for disconnecting the circuits after a preselected timing interval and means for reconnecting the circuits after the timing interval if desired.

Other objects and features of the present invention 2,907,901 Patented Oct. 6, 1959 and in which:

Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3 are schematic circuit diagrams and Figures 4, 5 and 6 show exemplary uses.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, in Figure 1 leads 11, 12 represent connections to a conventional house plug-in outlet, not shown. connected to a rotary switch 13 having a continuous: contact portion 21 and another contact portion 23. Thisswitch includes a rotary arm 14 which is mechanically connected to and rotated by timing motor 16. The timing motor 16 is of a conventional type readily available on the market and may be set by turning the indicator handle 17 clockwise to the desired time. This rotates the motor shaft 18 in a clockwise direction by the selected amount. The shaft is mechanically connected to move arm 14 clockwise to the far end 19 of contact 21 which is connected to lead 11. As arm 14 is moved in a counterclockwise direction electrical contact is maintained until arm 14 moves beyond end 22 and comes to rest between end 22 and contact 23, which is also connected to lead 11. In this rest position the electrical circuit is broken and all apparatus connected to switch 13 is turned off.

Connected to rotary arm 14 of switch 13 is one lead 24. Connected to lead 12 is another lead 26. To leads 24, 26 may be connected a radio, television, record player, recorder or similar device shown as A in Figure 1, and also in Figure 2. Connected in parallel with device A between lead 12 and arm 14 is a light dimming element 27, one end 28 of which is connected to arm 14 and the other end 29 connected to lead 12. Mechanically connected to shaft 18 is a double arm 31, 31A which rotates in response to the shaft rotation. Between these arms and arm 14 of switch 13 is connected a lighting element 32 through leads 33, 34. Element 27 may be a potentiometer, variable rheostat or powerstat and is preferably of semi-circular constmction so that arm 31 engages it from end 29 to end 28 during the counter-rotation of shaft 18 during the timing cycle. During this rotation light 32 becomes progressively dimmer and when arm 14 comes to rest between end 22 and contact 23, both the light 32 and de vice A are turned off completely. Spring and lever arm 36 is merely a symbolic showing that shaft 18, and hence arm 14 and double arm 31, 31A, has a rotary position of rest to which it seeks to return when rotated clockwise. If it is desired to use the light 32 at full brilliance and device A in its normal capacity without using the timing operation, indicator handle 17 is merelycontact 23 and arm 31A engages end 29 of resistance 27..

Figure 2 shows another type of circuit arrangement.

for effecting the gradual dimming of a light while the current to device A remains unchanged. At the end. of the timing cycle both the device and the light are dis-- connected. The switch also has an optional on posi-- tion wherein the light remains at full brilliance and the timing motor is not activated. Here, as in Figure 1,. leads 24 and 26 are connected to a sound producing. device A and leads 33, 34 are connected to the light 32. The motor 16 is activated by rotating control 17 clockwise and the spring and lever assembly 36 symbolizes that shaft 18 rotates counterclockwise until it. comes to a rest position. End 29 of resistor 27 is connected to lead 13 and the other end 28 is not connected. Arm 14 is connected to shaft 18 which moves it from end 29 to its normal rest position, the open space between end 28 and contact 23. Am 14 is electrically Lead 11 is connected to lead 34., Switch 37 is normally closed to complete the circuit to device A but is opened by a cam 38 rotated by shaft 18 when arm 14 comes to rest between end 28 and contact 23. Thus, at the end of the timing cycle both device A and light 32 becomes disconnected. Further movement of control 17 counter clockwise moves arm 14 to engagement with contact 23 and removes. cam 3.8 from engagement with normally-closed switch 37. In this'position light 32 burns at full brilliance and both the light and device A operate without use of the timing cycle.

Figure 3 is a simplified circuit in which only one ro- V tary movement performs the desired light dimming operation and the cut-ofi operation. Here, as in the other illustrations, the operation is started by rotation of the indicator knob 17 in a clockwise direction by the desired amount and motor 16 causes the counterrotation of the double arm 31, 31A. Figure 3 is shown in this loaded condition with the timing cycle just commencing. The circuit path for the sound producing device A is lead 11, semi-circular contact 21, contact arm 31, lead 24, device A, lead 26 and lead 12. Lead 24 is electrically connected to both arms 31, 3 1A. The circuit for the lighting device 32 is lead 11, contact 21, arms 31, 31A (which are electrically connected), variable resistance contact 27, lead 33, lighting element '32, lead 34 and lead 12. As arms 31, 31A are rotated counterclockwise, more and more of the resistance of resistance contact 27 is included in the path and the brilliance of the lighting element is thus progressively lessened; Motor 16 continues the rotation until arm 31A has passed end 28 of resistor 27 and arm 31 has passed end 22 or" contact 21. At this point both circuits are broken and lighting element 32 and device A cease functioning.

If it is desired to use both circuits without use or the timing cycle and the progressive dimming of the lighting element, knob 17 is rotated slightly further counterclockwise so that arm 31 engages end 29 of resistor 27 and arm 31A engages end 19 of contact 21. In this position the visual and sound producing devices may be used to perform their normally intended functions indefinitely.

While the circuitry and components in Figures 1, 2 and 3 have been expanded tto facilitate clarity in explaining their operation, the switches, dimming elements and the counterclockwise shaft actuation illustrated by spring assembly 36 may be compactly designed to occupy avery small space. Such structure may even be enclosed within thehousing of motor 16 with appropriate terminals attached thereto for proper connection with the power source, light and sound producing devices. This entire assembly may be mounted in the baseof a lamp as shown in Figure 4, as an accessory attachment to a television set as shown in Figure 6 or it may be housed as a separate assembly as shown in exaggerated size in Figure for use wtih an ordinary lamp and record player, for example.

As shown in Figure 4 the entire assembly is compactly mounted in the base of a lamp with control 17 and an outlet available for connection with a radio for example, having leads 24, 26 which connect to the assembly as shown in the illustration. Here again, the

lamp and radio can be made to operate independently of each other and independently of the timing cycle when desired by the proper setting of control 17.

As a separate assembly, Figured shows the use of this invention with a record player and ordinary lamp,

each without modification. Here any apparatus connected to outlet 39 will be subjected to a gradually di- I on the side wall of a television set, with the rest of the apparatus mounted therein. Of course, the connection and control also may be mounted on the.top,.front or back wall as desired. Obviously the television set and lamp may be operated in their normal manner with or without the oepration of the other as desired. This provides an excellent cutoff device for those who fall asleep in bed viewing the late movies.

While certain perferred embodiments of the inven-- tion have been specifically disclosed, it is' understood that the invention is not limited thereto as many variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention is to be given its broadest possi-- ble interpretation within the claims.

l-claim: v

1; Sleep inducing apparatus comprising a first circuit having a sound producing device therein, a second circuit having a light producing device therein, first and second leads for connection with an energy source, switch means for connecting said circuits to one of said leads, said switch means including an arcuate contact and a. rotatable arm forengaging said contact during partial rotation thereof, means connecting said first device in circuit between said rotary arm and the other. of said leads, said second circuit being electrically connected betweensaid arm and said other lead, said second circuit having a lighting element therein and. means for gradual-' ly dimming the brilliance thereof over a preselected timing interval. 7

terms of the following 2. Sleep inducing apparatus comprising a switch 'hav ming the. brilliance thereof over a preselected timing interval, said light dimming means comprising an arm, a resistance element and means for moving said arm over said element during said timing interval to thereby increase the resistancein said light circuit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,242,056 Crenshaw May 13, 1941 2,478,343 Trask Aug. 9, 1949 2,485,195 Gallagher Oct? 18, 1949' FOREIGN PATENTS l- 784,745- France May 6, 193 

